Amtrak sets record; Paoli a top stop

Amtrak trains were busier than ever during the 2012-13 fiscal year, and they were especially busy on the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak released its ridership numbers Monday morning, and the nationwide passenger train company set a record with 31.6 million riders overall and a record $2.1 billion in ticket revenue.

The Northeast Corridor had its second highest number of riders in history at 11.4 million passengers while the Northeast Regional service set a record number for riders at 8,044,216. The Northeast Corridor, which includes service between Washington and Boston also featured 3,343,143 riders on the Acela Express train.

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In terms of on/off ridership on Amtrak, Philadelphia ranked as the third highest city in the nation at 4.12 million riders. New York was first at 9.5 million and Washington was next at 5.03 million. Also, Amtrak’s Keystone Service that runs from New York to Harrisburg, via Philadelphia, had 1.4 million riders, an increase of 3.2 percent.

“Amtrak moves people, the economy and the nation forward everywhere the trains go,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said in a press release. “This year’s record ridership was achieved station by station in the more than 500 communities across America that Amtrak serves.”

Following Philadelphia among on/off ridership in Pennsylvania were Lancaster at 578,731, Harrisburg at 571,940, Paoli at 167,561 and Pittsburgh at 135,137.

Amtrak also said in its release that for every federal dollar invested in the system, it returns $3 to the local communities where it stops.

“In towns all across America, Amtrak brings economic opportunities for people, businesses and communities to grow and prosper,” said Tony Coscia, chairman of the Amtrak board of directors, in a release.